Engagement Rings: Selecting the Best Designer

Designer engagement rings aren’t just for movie stars and oil tycoons, though they have an illustrious reputation. Designer jewelry is available to most people seeking high quality fine jewelry that is distinctive, well made and gorgeous. Some people are uncertain of what qualifies as designer made, and others wonder what the differences are between designer jewelry and not. Discover the answers to both these questions and more, and find just how wonderful owning a designer piece of jewelry can be.

Designer Versus Store-Bought Versus Custom

Twisted Shank Halo Engagement Ring

There are a lot of options out there for buyers interested in investing in a one-of-a-kind engagement ring. Many shoppers head to a mall to buy a brand name diamond ring. Others opt to choose a local or family-run business that offers designer-made collections. A few choose to order a custom design from a small artisan jeweler. What are the differences between all of these? Designer-made jewelry is the only one that can offer the best of each category. Chain stores offer name recognition and quality materials, independent jewelers bring singular designs and service, but designers like Ziva Jewels use only exceptional quality materials, offer only attentive no-pressure service and happily custom make any design you desire.

Convenience, Service and Selection

Round Diamond in Square Halo Engagement Ring

Whether you’re interested in a custom design or not, you probably want access to as broad and diverse a selection as possible in order to find something that suits you. Mall stores have a very limited collection of gems, and artisan jewelers an even smaller inventory, but Ziva has an expansive online collection of hundreds of engagement rings, plus they offer a wealth of additional options through their certified retailers. As a result, clients can browse online, find a ring they adore and set up an appointment to see it in person. Our certified retailers never pressure anyone to buy, and are knowledgeable in every aspect of diamond and gemstone buying.

Respectable Ethics

Oval Engagement Ring 
with Moon-Shaped Sides in Diamond Halos

Many diamonds and gemstones come to the U.S. through shameful paths and from disreputable organizations. At Ziva, we know you care about from where your fine jewelry arrives. Manufactured and designed in the U.S. using ethical practices, Ziva’s wedding rings and fine jewelry allow you to enjoy your luxury purchases guilt-free. This makes them far more precious and more beautiful in our opinion. Always seek out a jewelry designer that follows their conscience and offers a guarantee. Ziva provides a lifetime warranty for its work, something very few other stores or designers do.

Designer engagement rings are coveted for many reasons, including their quality, singular design and exceptional customer service. Discover why designer made jewelry is the best choice by visiting Ziva Jewels or contacting us for more information.

Vintage Engagement Rings for Most Discerning Brides

Vintage engagement rings are currently the most popular designs for rings. Whether they’re inspired by Art Deco, Edwardian or Victorian designs, they seem to have found a stable perch in the hearts of many brides-to-be. But what exactly is a vintage engagement ring? What is an antique-style engagement ring? If these terms have you confused, here is a simple guide to help you understand the differences, and ensure you receive the ring of your dreams, no matter what year of make or era of inspiration suits you best.

The Meaning of Vintage

Vintage Emerald Cut Engagement Ring

 Vintage is a surprisingly broad term. Conventionally, it means the year a product or item is made. You usually see it in reference to wines, with vintages referencing the year the beverage was produced. More commonly, vintage is used to describe anything old that is popular again, such as 80s fashion. While some people may argue that vintage refers to anything at least 50 years old, it’s certainly not universally used that way. In fact, a retailer can label something vintage that was made last season, and he wouldn’t be mistaken. If you like something that’s a few years old and labeled vintage, don’t let that stop you from enjoying it or buying it. It simply helps you make an informed decision.

The Meaning of Antique

Vintage Engagement Ring 
with Round Sides in Pave Halos

On the other hand, antique has a very specific defined meaning. Anything that’s at least 100 years old falls into the category of antique. Antique items, whether they’re rings, furniture or clothing, are highly sought after, rare and expensive. They’re so highly coveted because they are a direct link to the past, and they have a romantic appeal and a traceable history that’s unique. Any jeweler or retailer selling authentic antique items should have proof of its origins and age. Without this, it’s unlikely to be true.

The Meaning of Antique-Inspired

Antique Style Emerald Cut Engagement Ring

When most couples search for antique engagement rings, they’re actually seeking out antique-style rings. What’s the difference? An antique-style ring is newly made but designed to look like a vintage piece. Sometimes manufactured as a collection and sometimes custom made, these “inspired by” designs look just like the beautiful jewels from the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries, except the materials are all new. This not only makes them much more affordable, they’re far more customize-able for a completely unique ring. Ziva is happy to provide a broad selection of antique-inspired engagement rings and can custom make a piece for you too.

Micro-Pave Engagement Ring With Diamond Prongs

If you love colorful gemstones, ornate cathedral settings and intricate engravings, an antique or antique-inspired ring is the perfect choice. Understanding the difference between these two terms is essential for any shopper, no matter the style or type of ring they desire. Now that you know the terms, come check out Ziva’s stunning collection of engagement rings, or make your own!

Best Way to Buy a Designer Engagement Ring

Design your own engagement ring; have you ever considered it? This popular method of manufacturing a ring that’s unique to the couple is common practice for the wealthy and famous, but they’re not the only ones who have access to the option. Designer engagement rings are widely available to the public, and they don’t have to be prohibitively expensive or a risky investment. Ziva Jewels will happily craft a one-of-a-kind engagement ring for your future wife, with a satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty to ensure your long-term comfort in the transaction. Ready to start, but not sure what you want? Here are just a few examples of the designs we can create.

The Double Shank

Cushion Shaped Halo Engagement Ring

Most engagement ring bands are simple and unadorned; others feature Pave diamonds or a split shank. You can have a truly singular ring with a double diamond shank that sparkles like the sun and receives twice the attention. Consider the square halo engagement ring with two-row diamond shank for a stunning sparkler that rivals any starlet’s jewelry collection.

The Diamond Petal

Engagement Ring with Triangle 
Sides in Diamond Halos

Love blooms like a flower, so why not develop a ring that suggests the beauty of an opening flower bulb, with the central stone as the bud and the accent stones the petals? The halo engagement ring with triangle sides in diamond halos features a classic round brilliant diamond stone flanked on either side by triangle cut diamonds. Each of the stones is then framed by Pave diamond halos. The result is not only gorgeous, but it’s also feminine and timeless.

The Moon Stone

Vintage Oval Engagement Ring

The womanly symbolism of the moon is well known. Why not incorporate that sense of nature and femininity into a distinctive engagement ring? It’s possible with inspiration from the oval engagement ring with moon shape sides and pave trim by Ziva. The large central oval stone is stunning, but the halo framed moon-cut accent diamonds on the side certainly lend a distinctively whimsical air unseen in other more common styles.

The Vintage Multi-Stone

Antique-Style Engagement Ring

Not all engagement rings require an over-the-top central stone that hogs all the attention. Clamor comes in many shapes and sizes, and a more demure vintage-inspired ring with several smaller gems can be just as stunning, if not more so. Consider the antique-style engagement ring with pear shaped and round side diamonds. It’s certainly a mouthful, but the classy cut is dainty and sophisticated, eye-catching yet elegant.

The Edgy Vintage Multi-Stone

Antique-Inspired Marquise Engagement Ring

Round stones are feminine, but sharper edges have their appeal too. Marquise-cut diamonds paired with triangle diamonds have a notable geometric feel that’s very distinctively antique, especially with the mil-grained edging. The antique-style marquise engagement ring with triangle and round diamond sides incorporates several different diamond cuts for a buffet of sparkling beauty any traditional romantic would love.

Whether you prefer round brilliants, bezel set or platinum, there’s no reason to compromise on your dream engagement ring. Let Ziva Jewels design your own engagement ring conveniently and risk free and at the price point with which you’re comfortable. Love is a risk, but your ring purchase never should be.

Vintage Sapphire Engagement Rings: Vibrant & Timeless

Sapphire engagement rings are quickly taking over the first place position when it comes to the style of ring women want most. Not only are sapphires gorgeous, with their flashing cobalt shades and translucent cool reflections, they’re also surprisingly affordable. No wonder these beautiful stones are always in fashion. If you’re looking for an engagement ring that’s distinctive, timeless and within budget, you can’t beat a sapphire engagement ring from Ziva. Here are some of the most popular styles that are guaranteed to elicit gasps of delight from onlookers.

A Vintage Design For a Hopeless Romantic

Emerald Cut Sapphire Engagement Ring

There’s something different about vintage engagement rings. They naturally evoke the romance of a time period long forgotten. A time when men were chivalrous, women were ladies and fine jewelry was unabashedly colorful. Ziva’s emerald cut sapphire engagement ring is the perfect example of this style. Featuring a central 1-carat emerald-cut sapphire of the purest blue set with matching baguette diamonds and a sparkling halo, it’s hard to resist. Both eye-catching and sophisticated, this ring will be the envy of women everywhere.

The Bold and the Beautiful

3-Stone Halo Sapphire Engagement Ring 

For some, bigger is better and more is more. In that case, Ziva presents its sapphire 3-stone engagement ring with halo, a dazzling example of breathtaking gemstone jewelry ideal for an unforgettable proposal. Boasting a 1-1/2 carat oval sapphire in the center, it’s flanked by two round brilliant diamonds and a Pave halo that trickles down to the band for wrap-around luxury no one will miss. The high quality of every stone and the expert shaping ensure this ring will look as beautiful today as it will on your 50^th anniversary.

A Delicate Dance of Stones

Engagement Ring With Sapphire Accent

Each bride is distinctive. Where one prefers a ring that’s striking and sizable, another prefers something more demure. But that second type still deserves a design that’s classy and colorful. Ziva’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring with baguette accent satisfies all those needs and more. The princess cut diamond takes center stage, while two square-cut sapphires emphasize the beauty of the main stone and provide a remarkable contrast. Additionally, two more baguette diamonds sit next to the sapphires, for a complex and beautiful ring that’s never ostentatious.

There’s no question that sapphires are popular gemstones for fine jewelry, but they’re also a fantastic choice for a central or accent stone on an engagement ring. Discover the perfect vintage sapphire engagement ring for your beloved at Ziva Jewels, and give your love the ring of which she’s always dreamed.

Emeralds of Renown: The Most Famous Emerald Gemstones in History

Emeralds’ mysterious allure is well known. Beloved by rulers all over the world and for many centuries, emeralds have found a place on many crowns, tiaras, necklaces and royal rings. No wonder so many civilians desire them for engagement rings or emerald necklaces. Symbolizing confidence, fidelity and tranquility, they also represent the best of mankind. Though many starlets and wealthy individuals have worn emeralds of varying size and shape, there are a few standout pieces that are so popular they were given names and honored by history. Here are some of the most famous emeralds ever mined.

The Guinness Emerald Crystal

Vintage Emerald & Diamond Ring

Likely one of the largest emerald crystals in the world, the Guinness Emerald weighs in at 1759 carats. Found in Colombia, it now is part of a large collection of captivating jewels at the Banco Nazionale De la Republica in Bogota, Colombia. Glowing like the mythical stone Kryptonite, emerald no doubt proves desirable to a great many people.



The Mackay Emerald Necklace

Set in an Art Deco design featuring platinum and diamond jewels of varying shapes and sizes, the Mackay Emerald necklace weighs in just below 168 carats and is located in the National Gem Collection. Created by Cartier in 1931, Clarence H. Mackay gave the necklace as a gift to his wife, Anna. She in turn donated it to the Smithsonian Institute. It’s the largest cut emerald in existence.

                                                               

Emerald Halo Necklace

                                                               

The Mogul Emerald

Pear-Shaped Emerald Pendant

Impressing bystanders at nearly 218 carats, the Mogul Emerald is a rectangular cut tablet stone with unusual markings, including Islamic prayers and decorative flowers. Fetching a stunning price of $2.2 million at a Christie’s auction in 2001, the emerald now belongs to an anonymous buyer who inherited centuries of history with the beautiful stone.

The Crown of Andes

Emerald Earrings With Diamond Halo

Created by ancient Inca settlers in 1590, the Crown of Andes sports not one magnificent emerald, but 453 of them, all set into a large, ornate golden crown weighing more than 100 pounds. Supposedly, the crown was made to appeal for help from the Virgin Mary during a time of plague.

The Devonshire Emerald

Antique style Emerald Bangle

Named after the 6th Duke of Devonshire, who received the rough-hewn emerald as a gift from the Emperor of Brazil in 1831, the Devonshire Emerald is approximately 1386 carats in weight. Naturally, it’s kept safe in a vault in the Natural History Museum of London, but no doubt it would make a very fetching, and heavy, gem for any style of jewelry.

 Emeralds maintain their popularity for many reasons, including their rarity, mysterious green color and powerful symbolism. But buyers don’t need to hunt down oversized emeralds from antiquity to appreciate their beauty. Finding a stunning emerald engagement ring or unique vintage emerald earrings is as easy as clicking a mouse. Discover emeralds worthy of a museum collection at Ziva Jewels.

Rubies: Famous Examples From the Past to Present

Rubies may be the most beautiful gemstone on earth. Long adored first and foremost among precious jewels, the ruby enjoyed the top position long before the diamond earned its premiere rank. As a result, many kings, queens, emperors and other royalty scooped up these charming stones and added them to rings, necklaces, tiaras and crowns to show their wealth and status. Today, many of these jeweled pieces are on display, famous for their history. Here are a few of the most popular rubies in history, from past to present.

The Timur Ruby

Ruby 3-Stone Ring 

Perhaps the most famous ruby, it’s not actually a ruby at all but a spinel, a similarly hued gem that is often mistaken for a ruby. The Timur Ruby is set into necklace with two other large spinel gems that are left in their natural state, without facets. Weighing 352.50 carats, the gem is the second largest of its kind in the world, next to the spinel in the Imperial Russian Crown. Sultan Sahib Qiran owned the jewel in 1153, as well as several other emperors who held it in in their possessions before it turned up with the Royal Jewels in England.

The Midnight Star Ruby

Ruby and Diamond Bangle

Featuring a beautiful star pattern on its center, the cabochon-shaped ruby, which weighs 116.75 carats, was once the subject of a theft in 1964 by Jack “Murph the Surf” Murphy, a onetime surfing champion. Along with the Star of India, the DeLong Star Ruby and the Eagle Diamond, Murphy and his accomplices snuck into the American Museum of Natural History in New York and nicked the gems. Aside from the forever-lost Eagle Diamond, all gems including the Midnight Star Ruby were recovered.

The Hixon Ruby Crystal

Ruby Pendant With Diamonds

Never cut or placed in a setting, the roughly hewn Hixon Ruby Crystal is considered the most-perfect large ruby crystal in existence, weighing in at 196.10 carats. It’s housed in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, where Frederick C. Hixon originally donated it in 1978.

The Carmen Lucia Ruby

Mined in the 1930s in Burma, where most rubies hail, the Carmen Lucia Ruby is a flawless 23.1-carat stone set in a platinum ring with accent diamonds. The gem belonged to Carmen Lucia, the wife of businessman and philanthropist Peter Buck, who kindly donated the ring to honor his wife when she passed. Besides having one of the greatest love stories ever told, this ring has all the characteristics that people today adore about rubies: the striking brilliance, the deep red tones and exceptional transparency.

Ruby Drop Earrings

                                                     

Whether found in Burma, Thailand or Montana, rubies capture buyers’ hearts and minds with their royal color and entrancing fire. High quality rubies continue to outpace diamonds in price, and their rarity in nature ensures their value for centuries to come. Though these gems are not likely in anyone’s budget, you can find quality and affordable ruby rings, ruby necklaces and ruby earrings at Ziva Jewels.